We were recently asked by ICMP, the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London, for our top songwriting tips gleaned from the now 100+ conversations we’ve had on the Sodajerker podcast with world-leading songwriters. We’re nothing if not obliging, so we rustled up a few thoughts in response to their questions.
You can read the results here.
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Andrew W.K. sits down in London with Simon and Brian to talk about his new album You’re Not Alone. In this wide-ranging conversation, Andrew describes how his philosophy, his knowledge of music and his instrumental skills inform his approach to writing and recording songs like ‘Music Is Worth Living For’, ‘Party Mindset’ and ‘You’re Not Alone’. The Party God also describes the processes behind some classics from his back catalogue including ‘Party Hard’ and ‘Don’t Call Me Andy’.
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In March 2018 we did our first ever podcast recording in front of a live audience. It went really well and we were delighted by the whole experience.
The event was a success for two reasons: firstly, we were working with a wonderful organisation, APRA AMCOS, which is an Australian royalty collection society for songwriters and composers. They have over 95,000 members and do great work on their behalf. Their London office is based at the famous RAK Studios, and we couldn’t resist the opportunity to record there with a special guest.
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Singer-songwriter Nell Bryden describes the writing of her recent album Bloom including the songs ‘Thought I Was Meant For You’, ‘Barcelona’s Gone’ and ‘Dared the World and Won’. From the back catalogue, we also go in-depth on ‘Sirens’, ‘Buildings and Treetops’ and ‘Wayfarer’ while Nell reflects on confessional writing styles, using unfamiliar instruments, and the power of prose.
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The brilliant Charlie Dore sits down with Simon and Brian to talk about the writing of her most recent album, Dark Matter. Charlie also talks in detail about her classic hit ‘Pilot of the Airwaves’, working on TV’s Rainbow, co-writing songs like ‘Ain’t No Doubt’ (Jimmy Nail), ‘Rain, Tax (It’s Inevitable)’ (Céline Dion), and ‘Strut’ (Sheena Easton), and her time spent in the company of friends and colleagues like Eric Idle, George Harrison and Harry Nilsson.
Download this episode Subscribe in iTunes Listen to Spotify playlist© 2018 Sodajerker. Some rights reserved.
To celebrate the recent second issue of the popular music journal Riffs, which Simon guest edited, Simon and Brian sat down with researcher Dave Kane for a chat about The Beatles. You can listen here:
To kick off 2018, Simon and Brian sit down with actress and singer-songwriter Rita Wilson to talk about her journey into songwriting, her recent eponymous album, collaborations with a range of world-class writers both in LA and Nashville, and her live music series: Liner Notes: Songwriters, Stories and Music with Rita Wilson and Friends.
Download this episode Subscribe in iTunes Listen to Spotify playlist© 2018 Sodajerker. Some rights reserved.
This special episode features a sit down with legendary British songwriter Noel Gallagher who talks about his approach to writing the new High Flying Birds album Who Built The Moon? as well as classic Oasis songs like ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’ and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’. In describing his work, Noel likens the discipline of songwriting to fishing, and, in that way only he can, expresses his distaste for artists who rely on songwriting teams.
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In this episode, Simon and Brian visit the Ealing studios of celebrated UK producer and songwriter Naughty Boy (aka Shahid Khan) for a chat about the writing and production behind songs like ‘Diamond Rings’, ‘Clown’, ‘Wonder’, ‘La La La’ and ‘Runnin’ (Lose it All)’. Naughty Boy also talks about his long-standing writing partnership with Emeli Sandé, working with other luminaries like Beyoncé, and completing his next album.
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We sit down with Emeli Sandé in her London studio to talk about her excellent new EP Kingdom Coming and a host of classic songs from throughout her career, including ‘Clown’, ‘Heaven’, ‘Diamond Rings’, ‘Read All About It, Pt III’, ‘Hurts’ and the transcendent smash ‘Next To Me’. Emeli also talks about her songwriting collaborations with artists like Naughty Boy and Alicia Keys.
Download this episode Subscribe in iTunes Listen to Spotify playlist© 2017 Sodajerker. Some rights reserved.
Catching up on some kind mentions in the press this week, we thought we’d post these two recent shout-outs in The Guardian.
The first of these appeared in October 2017 and was written by esteemed music journalist David Hepworth, who selected us as part of ‘the week’s best radio’.
The second appeared in November’s Guardian Guide, recommending the Sodajerker podcast as one of the ’10 best things to do this week’.
Thanks to them for taking notice of our homespun show and for including it alongside coverage of BBC Radio programmes, and some of our favourite artists.
Singer-songwriter Jake Bugg joins Simon and Brian in London to talk about the writing of his new record Hearts That Strain and songs from throughout his career to date, including: ‘How Soon The Dawn’, ‘Waiting’, ‘Southern Rain’, ‘The Man On Stage’, ‘Two Fingers’, ‘Slumville Sunrise’ and ‘Gimme The Love’. Jake also reflects on the co-writing process and his time working with people like Brendan Benson, Mike Crossey and Rick Rubin.
Download this episode Subscribe in iTunes Listen to Spotify playlist© 2017 Sodajerker. Some rights reserved.
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Episode 319 – Linda PerryJune 20, 2026
Episode 318 – Sean Ono LennonMay 31, 2026
Episode 317 – Matt JohnsonMay 14, 2026
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